Ironing machine



W. E. BAKER.

lRONING MACHINE. V APPLICATION FILED JAN.19,1921.

1,431,27 9 Patented Oct. 10, 1922 2 SHEETSWSHEET 2.

Patented Get. 1Q, 1922.

siren IRONING MACHINE.

. Application filed January 19, 1921. Serial No. 433,499.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM EXonLL BAKER, a subject of the King of Great Brit ain and Ireland, residing at 62 .Gipsy Road. West Norwoo d in the county of Surrey. England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements. in Ironing Machines (for which I have filed application in Great BritainQNo. 1935/17, Patent No. 113,140); of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates' ito ironing machines of the type in which a flat iron of such. p the necessary pressure is employed and is caused to reciprocate over a fixed. table, and it consists of an im proved'method of imparting the. necessary motion to the iron and of reversing the mo tion of same, the object, bein qto. obtain mechanism which is of simple construction, is silent and smooth in running and reversingand which is easy to'adjust and keep in working order. r p

A further object is to'prevent damage to "the machine in case the operator does not reverse the. movement of the iron before the limit of its travel in either direction is reached. i

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate this invention zp Figs. 1 and 2 are viewsin side elevation and plan of the improved machine. y

Figs. 3 and 4 are broken-views in front and end elevation on an enlarged scale showing the operating and driving mecha nism, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are broken views in end and front elevation respectively showing the construction of the clutch. Throughout the views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.

The improved driving mechanism comprises a belt or the like M which travels constantly in one direction over a pair of pulleys L and L located at a suitable distance apart and carried by shafts T running in bearings carried by a suitable frame X, one of said pulleys being driven from any suitable source of power. Between the pulleys L and L is a bar A. on which is mounted, so as to slide thereon, an arm G carrying two grip couplings forming a double clutch J by means of which said frame can be coupled either to the part of the belt travelling above the pulleys or to the part of the belt travelling below the pulleys according to the direction in which it is desired the frameshould travel. The clutch J slides vertically in a suitable guide P carried by the arm G and the necessary rising or lowering movement to bring said clutch into engagement with ,the band either .aboveor below the pulleys L and L is effected by a longitudinally arranged bar I; which engages rollers B and R carried by the clutch J. A vertical or up and down motion is imparted to the bar ii either by a treadle W, or by a hand lever H, both of which operate through rods I and TI 10- catedat each end of the machine.

he iron D which i of such weigh":- tliat it creates its own pressure, is coupled by a universal joint 0 to the arm G which carries brackets E and E which are adapted to slide on the'bar A and thus allow the iron to travel over the table or board in contact therewith.

Mounted on the frameor" the machine near each end thereof are inclined planes V and V which operate in conjunction with the rollers R to stop the travel of the iron D and to effect. a reversal ofthe direction or" its motionat one end or both ends of its travel. The preferred construction is to so shape the inclined planes V. and V th 5 the former operates to disengage the clutch J from the upper part of the band and to engage it with the lower part of sad bani whereby the direction of travel'oi the iron is reversed and the latteroperates to disengage the clutch J from the lowerpart of the band M without engaging it with the upper part thereof whereby the iron is brought to a state of rest. At the end of the table or board C at which the plane V is located is a stand S for the iron to rest on when it is brought to a state of rest in this position.

l Yhat I claim is 1. In an ironing machine of the type in which a fiatiron is caused to travel over arfixed table, means for imparting a reciprocating motion to the iron comprising a band travelling around and between two pulleys and a clutch for coupling said iron to said band either above or below said pulleys, and mechanism having no travelling movement relative to the table for actuating said clutch controlled by manual power.

2. In an ironing machine of the type in which a flat iron travels over a fixed table the combination of mechanism for impart- CAD prising a band travelling over and between two lined pulleys to one of which the driving power is applied and a double acting clutch for coupling said iron to said band either above or below said pulleys, of mechanism having no travelling movement in relation to said table for actuating said clutch by manual power, of means for automatically declutching the driving connection of said iron when it reaches the limit of its travel in either direction.

3. In an ironing machine of the type in which a flat iron travels over a fixed table the combination oi? mechanism for imparting reciprocating motion to said iron comprising a band travelling over and between two fixed pulleys to one of which the driving' power is applied and a double acting clutch for coupling said iron to said band either above or below said pulleys, of mecha nism having no travelling movement in relation to said table for actuating said clutch by manual power, 01" means 101" automatically reversing the direction of travel of said iron as and when it reaches the limit or": its travel in either direction.

4. An ironing machine comprising a weighted flat iron, a table over which the iron can travel, a band travelling around and between two pulleys, means for imparting motion to one or both of said pulleys, a clutch for coupling the iron to said band either above or below saio pulleys, mechanism for actuating said clutch by foot or hand, stops for automatically declutching the driving; connection of the iron when same has reached the limit of its travel in either direction in relation to the table, and a stand -for receiving the iron when it is brought to rest at one end of the table.

5, In an ironing machine of the type in which a flat iron travels over a fixed table the combination of mechanism for imparting reciprocating motion to said iron comprising a band travelling over and between two fixed pulleys to one of whichthe driving power is applied and a double acting clutch for coupling said iron to said band either above or below said pulleys, of mechanism having no travelling movement in relation to said table for actuating said clutch by manual power, of means for automatically releasing the driving couple or said iron as and when it reaches the limit of its travel in either direction and for automatically ensaid coupling at one end of its travel so as to cause said iron to travel in the opposite direction. v

6. In an ironing machine the combination of a table mounted on a suitable frame, a horizontally disposed bar carried by said frame, pulleys mounted'on bearings carried by said frame, a driving pulley coupled to one of said pulleys, a band passing over and between said pulleys, a bracket adapted to slide on said bar, a double acting clutch carried by said bracket, a fiat iron coupled to said bracket by a universal joint, of stationary hand or foot operated mechanism :tor actuating; said clutch so as to cause it to engage said band either above or below said pulleys, of inclined planescarried by said frame, of rollers carried by said sliding bracket and adapted to co-operate with said inclined planes for the purpose of automatically reversing the direction of travel of sait iron as and when it reaches the limit of its travel in one direction and to antomatically stop the travel of said iron when it reaches the limit of its travel in the other direction, and of a stand located at one end 01 said table adapted to receive the iron when it is brought to rest at the limit of its travel in one direction.

W ILLIAM *XCELL BAKER. 

